No change and development come without any risk. In today’s marketplace, businesses rely on the power of network infrastructure for every aspect of their daily operations. Despite this, many companies still fail to acknowledge the great importance of having an uninterrupted, secure, and robust IT infrastructure.
In this technological age where many cloud-based applications deliver digital products or services to their customers, now is the most vital time to set up a well-tuned network system to streamline your business processes. If you want your business to become more efficient, productive, and perform with little to no interruption, you must invest in a good IT service provider.
What is an IT Infrastructure?
IT infrastructure refers to the composite hardware, software, network resources and services required for the existence, operation and management of an enterprise IT environment.
IT infrastructure allows an organization to deliver IT solutions and services to its employees, partners and/or customers and is usually internal to an organization and deployed within owned facilities. It consists of all components that somehow play a role in overall IT and IT-enabled operations. It can be used for internal business operations or developing customer IT or business solutions.
Typically, a standard IT infrastructure consists of the following components:
- Hardware: This is the “physical” part of an IT infrastructure, and comprises all the elements necessary to support the basic functioning of the machines and devices constituting the infrastructure itself. Servers, computers, storage and data centers, switches, hubs and routers, as well as all other equipment such as the power, cooling, cabling and dedicated rooms.
- Software: It refers to all the applications used by the enterprise both for internal purposes and to provide its services to customers. Software includes web servers, Enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), productivity applications and the operating system (OS). The OS is the most important software component and is responsible for managing the hardware itself and connect the physical resources to the network infrastructure.
- Network: Although is not strictly necessary for an IT infrastructure to function, the network is essential to establish internal and external communication of all elements and devices. The network part includes all the hardware and software elements necessary to ensure network enablement, internet connectivity, firewall and security. It ensures that personnel get access to stored and transferred data only from strictly controlled access points to reduce the risk of data theft or damage.
- Meatware: Since they contribute to constituting the enterprise environment and guarantee its functions, associated personnel and processes such as ITOps or DevOps are also part of an IT infrastructure. Human users, such as network administrators (NA), developers, designers and end users with access to any IT appliance or service are also part of an IT infrastructure, specifically with the advent of user-centric IT service development.
Traditional Vs. Cloud Infrastructures
All the components mentioned above that constitute a traditional infrastructure are usually owned by the enterprise itself and managed within their own facilities.
Needless to say, the larger the IT infrastructure, the more space, power, personnel, and money will be needed to run it. Today, part of this infrastructure can be virtualized and rented from third-party services to cut the costs.
Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are all relatively new options that allow businesses to rent software, infrastructure, services and human resources from external vendors who will deliver them using the internet. All the components rented are hosted and managed in cloud servers that employ their own IT infrastructures.
Since all these resources are built on virtualization technology, they can easily be scaled up or down as the needs of the business employing them changes.
How IT Infrastructure Relate to Business Growth
As your business grows, the organization’s overall productivity, security, and connectivity will become more and more dependent on computing speed, cloud solutions, and IT reliability. With that, your business can also grow more vulnerable to online security breaches.
Running a business in the digital age requires you to ride in the digital transformation shift to rise above the competition. You need to work more efficiently, quickly, and automate processes to keep up with customers, competitors, and market trends.
Below are three things every business leader should understand about the organizational infrastructure and its association with business growth.
1. Speed to market
For businesses that deal with digital products, an unreliable network can cause chaos and upset customers. For instance, network connectivity goes down, and the employees may be taking orders that are no longer in the inventory, chances are, the business is about to face hundreds of irate customers.
When you have a robust network system, the business and workers get to support more goals, such as meeting the demand for your services when you experience a surge in traffic. The more seamlessly your business can handle online interactions, the faster and better service you can deliver to your customers.
2. Accept what research shows and the experts say
New technologies and modern networks can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially when it’s time to implement or adapt to these changes. However, the data, studies, and trends you see are there for a reason. If you choose to veer off course, your business will be left behind and get overwhelmed with the changes.
Of course, adapting to modern network setup requires investment, but don’t be pressured to go big on your first try. You can start with a little software to automate some of your processes or upgrade to new network infrastructure for your digital business. The keyword is to start and adapt.
3. Better infrastructure serves employees, too
Businesses should strive to set up a smooth workflow and information system in the workplace. A sophisticated IT infrastructure can provide workers more than high-quality network connection. It can also provide little to no downtime issues with their job roles, cloud solutions or software automating repetitive tasks, and technology that bridge the gaps in between processes to help reduce stress and to stimulate productivity.
Tips to Develop an Agile IT Infrastructure for Your Business
Many small businesses and start-ups that are adjusting to the digital landscape and aren’t technology-based begin with the basics: they invest in hardware like desktop computers or laptops, a phone system, and a router for a stable internet connection. This should be enough for a time.
But when the company starts to grow, you will begin to question security, connectivity, and overall productivity. This is where investing in a secure IT system starts to sound like a good investment.
1. Choose the right team size
A lot of organizations fail to hire the right people to establish their IT system. Some overdo it. So, how does a business identify the right size for their company? Take a look at your server count, staff size, customer/client base, data communications flow, growth forecast, and more.
It’s best to consult with an IT service provider or expert regarding this. But generally, an IT management team will be responsible for monitoring the essential IT services and elements in your company, such as network utilization, storage, capacity monitoring, wireless and wired network operations, hardware, software, security, facilities, energy consumption, and maintenance/service updates. With this, an expert or IT team can audit, design, and implement the right architecture for your organization.
2. Consider your scalability plans
Your network infrastructure should be able to adapt as quickly and smoothly as your business does in your industry. You should plan for two or three years down the road when deciding about your storage or capacity.
Moreover, you should think about your staff. Planning for well-tuned IT infrastructure means you foresee your business expanding in the future. You must anticipate how your business requirements appear in two or three years, so you can align your IT infrastructure as needed.
3. Choose reliable vendors
To build a robust IT architecture for your business, you need to choose trusted hardware, software, and SaaS vendors. This step is instrumental to the success of the infrastructure in itself and your business.
Before locking a long-term deal with providers, it’s a good practice to test the product or service on a trial period first to see if it fits your business, and to see how the service provider will respond when something goes wrong. Will they act immediately? Will they charge extra costs for minimal support? Are they available to reach 24/7? You can save more in the future when you go with quality products and IT services.
Build a Solid IT Infrastructure to Boost Your Business Strategies
Don’t wait until you experience a network failure or any IT-related hiccup in the middle of operations before you realize the immense value of having an agile IT infrastructure. The quality and reliability of a company’s technology manifest its ability to innovate, grow, and outrank the competition.
Tools, services, and products that make up a fail-proof network system can refine your business strategies and optimize your network operations. It’s high time you embrace these innovations to help your business adopt in the modern marketplace. You can reach out to credible companies that offer IT Services like Ugacomp to help you streamline your business enroute to modernization.
Please contact us: Phone : +256758057003 Email: ugacomp@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment